Bengaluru: In a bizarre yet telling scene from Panathur-Balagere, frustrated commuters are taking matters — and their vehicles — off the road. A viral video shows two-wheelers veering off the main road and navigating through muddy, uneven railway-side paths, all in a desperate attempt to escape an unending traffic jam.

Civic neglect vs. civic sense

The incident has sparked a heated debate online. While some slammed motorists for endangering lives, others pointed fingers at Bengaluru’s chronic infrastructure delays. The Panathur S-Cross stretch, currently undergoing concretisation work, was supposed to be completed by October 31, but multiple civic agencies digging simultaneously delayed progress.

With the main road partially closed and alternative routes riddled with potholes, many commuters have turned to an illegal shortcut along the railway line, which is not a public road. Despite the dangers — including proximity to active tracks — two-wheelers use it daily to reach Bellandur’s Outer Ring Road.

Voices from the ground

Commuter Manas, who once took the route, said:

“None of the alternate routes are smooth, and peak-hour traffic is terrible. People are desperate to reach on time, so they risk it. It’s not right, but civic neglect has left us with no choice.”

Netizens, meanwhile, had mixed reactions.

  • KS Sharma: “Please pass a GO for all employees to WFH till roads are repaired. Why risk lives of taxpayers?”
  • Vinod Pal: “This is the daily reality for IT workers. Isn’t it time the govt fixed basic infrastructure?”
  • Naveen Kumar (sarcastically): “Stop blaming the govt. It’s part of a plan — giving bikers an off-road adventure experience!”

Officials urge patience

Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), acknowledged public frustration but urged commuters to cooperate:

“We can’t shut any road entirely during white-topping. The work needs proper curing time to ensure long-term durability. We ask people to bear with us for a few more days.”

The bigger picture

The Panathur bottleneck has become symbolic of Bengaluru’s infrastructure crisis, where rapid urbanisation and overlapping civic works often push commuters to extreme measures. Until the roads are restored, residents say, the “off-road experience” in India’s tech capital continues — not by choice, but by compulsion.